J. C. Daniel Award

J. C. Daniel Award is the highest lifetime achievement award given in the Malayalam film industry for the outstanding contribution to the Malayalam Cinema. It was named after Dr. J.C. Daniel Nadar, the father of Malayalam Cinema.   

Earlier the allocation of this annual award rested with the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala which established in 1992. 

But after 1998, it was Kerala State Chalachitra Academy a self-governing organization  under the Govt. of Kerala, who hosted this award.

The award comprises a cash prize of ₹5 Lakh, a plaque, and a citation.

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Basic Facts

• Established in – 1992.
• Conferred by – Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.
• First Winner – T.E. Vasudevan.
• First Actor to win J.C. Daniel Award – Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair.
• First Woman to get J.C. Daniel Award – Aranmula Ponnamma (2005).
• First Singer to win J.C. Daniel Award – K.J. Yesudas (2002).
• First Posthumous J.C. Daniel Award Winner – Jose Prakash (2011).
• Last Winner – T.V. Chandran (2022).

List of Recipients

Year	Recipient	Field
1992	T. E. Vasudevan	Producer & Distributor
1993	Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair	Actor
1994	P. Bhaskaran	Lyricist
1995	Abhayadev	Lyricist
1996	A. Vincent	Cinematographer
1997	K. Raghavan	Composer
1998	V. Dakshinamoorthy	Composer
1999	G. Devarajan	Composer
2000	M. Krishnan Nair	Director
2001	P. N. Menon	Director
2002	K. J. Yesudas	Playback Singer
2004	Madhu	Actor
2005	Aranmula Ponnamma	Actress
2006	Mankada Ravi Varma	Cinematographer
2007	P. Ramdas	Director
2008	K. Ravindran Nair	Producer
2009	K. S. Sethumadhavan	Director & Screenwriter
2010	Navodaya Appachan	Producer
2011	Jose Prakash	Actor
2012	J. Sasikumar	Director
2013	M. T. Vasudevan Nair	Screenwriter
2014	I. V. Sasi	Director
2015	K. G. George	Director
2016	Adoor Gopalakrishnan	Director
2017	Sreekumaran Thampi	Lyricist, Screenwriter, Director & Producer
2018	Sheela	Actress
2019	Hariharan	Director
2020	P. Jayachandran	Singer
2021	K.P. Kumaran	Director
2022 (30th)	T.V. Chandran	Director
2023 (31st)	Shaji N. Karun	Director

📝 Read More: Malayalam Cinema Facts For PSC

J. C. Daniel (1900-1975)

• Father of Malayalam Cinema.
• Director of the first silent movie in Malayalam, Vigathakumaran (1928).
• Established First Film Studio in Kerala – The Travancore National Pictures (1926).

To Know More About the Life & Achievements of J.C. Daniel, click here.

Previous Year PSC Questions:

• 2021-ലെ ജെ.സി. ഡാനിയേൽ പുരസ്‌കാരം നേടിയതാര്? പി. ജയചന്ദ്രൻ. (10th Prelims, First Stage, 15/5/2022)

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📝SideNotes:

• K.P. Kumaran – 
• Major Films – 
• Rugmini – National Award for Best feature film (1988), Kerala State Film Award (1989)
•  based on Madhavikutty's Rukminikkoru Pavakutty,
• Athithi (debut feature film), Thenthulli, Laxmivijayam, Thottam, Neram Pularumbol, Adipapam, Kattile pattu,
• Akasha Gopuram (2008)
• based on Henrik Ibsen's play The Master Builder.
• Gramavrikshathile Kuyil (2020,  life of poet Kumaran Asan)
• Short film – Rock.
• co-screenwriter of Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Swayamvaram (1972).
•  Minister for Cultural Affairs 2024 – Saji Cherian.

Thanks for reading!!!